Means for connecting tubular members



June 18, 1935. M. H. RIX

MEANS FOR CONNECTING TUBULAR MEMBERS Filed April 29, 1933 8 f INVENTOR.

yaw/v H /?/X BY ATTORNEY.

Patented June 18, 1935 I I UNITED MEANS Fort CONNECTING TUBULAR vinivie iits Milton H. Rix; Three Rivers, Mich; assignor to Fairbanks, Morse 82 Company, Chicago, Ill.; a corporation of Illinois 1 Application Ala-i129, 193s, sei eihit. 668,542,

oieime. (oi. 287-54) An object of the present invention is attained meter car; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in in an improved method of joining pipes,,or like sectioi of a pipe joint; Fig. 315 an end elevation tubular elements, the method being adapted to of the joint, partly'in' section, as viewed along line i obviate the use of the usual'pipe fittinga'such as 3-3 in Fig. 2'; Fig. 4 is aside elevation of an im=' 5 elbows and T elements, as well as connecting ex; proved punching t'ool employed in forming the 5 pedients of the order of welding or bolting. 1 joint, and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the tool.

N Another object is attained in an improved R c1 n5,n the dfewing y n m of method of joining one pipe to another in such a reference, It) denotes, generally, apipe joint, stru'c manner as to form a rigid and secure connection ,ture formed ,in accordance with the present which is particularly adapted to withstand conmethod. A tubular ineinber or pipe section I2 is 1 tinued vibration dv h d usage of th joi d provided witharectangular slot Mithrough apor members. tion of the pipe walL'anda second slot l6 through 7 A further object is atta'ined in a method of cona portion of the pipe wall disposed diametrally necting one metal tube to another, in angular opposite the first slot. "Both slots will usually relation which consists in flattening an end porof a trend longitudinally of theslottedtube, The 5 tion of one tube, in forming a slot transversely slot it: preferably conforms to the slot, [4' in through a porti'o'nof a second tube, in directing width, but is somewhat shorter in length, for a the flattened tube end through the slot' so that it purposewhich will presently appear. 7

protrudes from the opposite side of theslotted' The'slets M and K5 are prefe y formed by q tube, and in spreading terminal wall portions of punching predetermined wall portions of the pipe 20 the protruding end, so he to lock the tube e1ew th a s ta ly s 'pj p n t ol. 1 foun ments in the desired relation. suitable for this purpose being illustrat'eii'in Eigs. Another object is realized in a joint'structure, 4 and 5. The tool or punch is P d lllmlv through which metal tubular elements may be base portion {'8 adapted to seat in a socket arconnected or assehibled in angular relation; the ranged iii 2% Suitable Duhcb'framc n 25 joint being characterizedasa cold joint, in dis}. The punch blade 19 has its outer end 20 so shaped tinction from soldering, brazing or welded coiito form the slot i6, and the inner endZ Z', of a' nee'tionsyahd being susceptible of formation en gauge and width toiorm the lon s The tirely of the metal constituting the'tu'bes theme wallportions to be slotted areboth, by preference, A selves, in distinction from the separate fittings punchedlinwardly of the tube wall, the punched 30 sometiriiesutilized, such as pipe fittings or the portions'being divided and rolledup within the like. tube pipe, oneach end of the slots thus fortified,

A still further object of the present invention the out, inturned ends being illustrated at 24" is at :ained in the provision of an improved punchand 2b. r ing tool which is particularly adapted to the One end 28 of a second pipe section 30 which is; 35 forming of the tube or pipe slots hereinabov'e' to be secured to the pipe sectionlZ, is compressed noted. andfiattened by any suitable means, suchasj a Further objects and advantages will appear press. As a result of compressing the end 28j the from the following description, and from the ap side walls'oi pipetll converge to a shouldered rela 40 pended drawing. tion, substantially shownat 3! in Fig.3., Side 40 As an eX'arn'p'leof the application of the present portions jof the flattened or tongued section 28, ad--' inv n n, e method of joining u ar mem jaceht the outer end 32, eie'e'ut away or notched, beIS is illustrated, y y Of eXaimple. in as at 34,to form shoulders 36 which engage the innection with a railway motor car handrail structurned n portions 24 of pipe |2 when th end ture- Joints formed in accordance. with the 2c of pipe 30 is inserted in the slot I4. It will 45 m hOd presently to be described and appliedin be noted that the slot i4 is so formed and dithe forming of such handrail structures, have mensioned as 1 to o fine the pipe and 23 been found in practice to be pa y Suited therein, to eliminate any relative motion or side for this service, the joints so formed being well play between the pipe members, The slot [6 adapted to withstand prolonged vibration, and similarly confines the endportion'32 extending the rough usage to which such handrails orbars therethrough. In the formation of the shoulder are notoriously subjected. portions 36, the outer end 32 becomes divided, or In the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates an application split into two tongued sections or furcations 38 of pipe joints formed according to the present which, in assembly, are spread or bent over, as invention, to the hand rail structure of a railway illustrated in Fig. 3. Thefspreading of the sections 38 draws the shoulders 36 firmly against the inturned metal portions 24, and at the same time tends to wedge the flattened end adjacent the convergent wall portion 3|, in the slot l4, as a direct result of the wedge shape of the pipe portion 3|.

The method of assembly is extremely simple, and may consist merely in inserting the prepared end 28 of pipe 3!] through the slots I4 and I6 until the shoulder portions 36 engage the inturned scroll portions 24 of pipe l2. With the pipe members suitably'held in such engagement, the ends 38 may then be caused to diverge, and brought by impact or pressure, into snugly overlying engagement with the outer wall portions of tube I 2, adjacent slot l6, thereby forming a firm and secure joint or connection.

It may be noted here that in forming a joint as herein described, it may in certain cases be more desirable for greater economy, to punch the slots I4 and IS in a single operation, from one side of the pipe member !2. In such case, the rolled metal portions 24 would be turned outwardly of the adjacent pipe wall, and removed after the slot I6 is formed. Thereafter, in joining the end 28 of pipe 30 to the prepared portion of pipe 12, the shoulder portions 36 would engage the inner surface of marginal wall portions of the pipe l2 defining the slot l5, instead of abutting the inturned metal portions 24, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Fig. 1 illustrates the joint as applied to the hand bar structure of a railway motor car 40. In the present example, the pipe section l2 may be a portion of a vertical hand rail support 42, disposed near one end of the car 40, and the pipe section 30 may consist of a horizontal element of a hand bar 44. It is of course within the intent of the present invention to employ a joint of a similar, possibly slightly modified type, for connecting tubular guard rail elements for a variety of uses, and in fact in any situation where metal tubular elements are to be brought into structural union.

The presently described method of joining tubular members, and the preparation of the members for connection, provides a considerable improvement over practices heretofore conventionally employed, particularly as regards economy of material and assembly operations, the tubes or pipes themselves supplying the metal constituting the joint. The resulting joint is well adapted to withstand considerable vibration and. rough usage, and provides a safe and reliable connection. Furthermore, the presently improved method of preparing and connecting tubular members is in keeping with the requirements of rapid mass production, and requires practically no special equipment, thereby presenting a number of distinct advantages to manufacturers. I

It is to be understood, of course, that this invention is not to be limited to the present preferred embodiment thereof, as certain alterations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and full intended scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a joint or connection for tubular members, a passage formed by aligned apertures through wall portions of one member, a compressed end portion on the other member, adapted to extend through said apertures, terminals on the outer end of said compressed portion, having faces seated on opposite sides of one of said apertures, for clamping the members in assembly, and means on the compressed end of the second member arranged to engage an inner wall portion of said first member.

2. In a connection for joining tubular members, a passage formed by apertures through wall portions of one of the members, said apertures being disposed in alignment in opposite tube walls, a compressed end portion on the other tubular member, said portion being furcated and extending through said apertures, and a shoulder on said compressed end portion arranged to engage an inner wall portion of said first member, said furcated end being spread, externally of the first tubular member, whereby to secure the members in assembly.

3. A connection or joint for angularly connected tubular members, including a passage formed by aligned slotted apertures in the opposite walls of one of the tubular members, one of the apertures being of lesser length, an abutment formed internally of the apertured member, adjacent one of the slotted apertures, a terminal tongue formed on the other tubular member and consisting of a flattened end, a lateral margin of which is cut away to form a shoulder, furcations at the extreme end of the tongue, the tongue extending through said passage so that the shoulder engages said abutment, the furcations being spread into holding engagement, beyond the shorter slotted aperture, with the apertured member.

4. A connection or joint for angularly connected tubular members, including a passage formed by aligned slotted apertures in the opposite walls of one of the tubular members, one of the apertures being of lesser length, an abutment formed internally of the apertured member adjacent one of the slotted apertures, guide elements struck inwardly of the other slotted aperture, 3. terminal tongue formed on the other tubular member and consisting of a flattened end, a lateral margin of which is cut away to form a shoulder, furcations at the extreme end of the tongue, the tongue extending through said passage so that the shoulder engages said abutment, and the guide ele ments laterally engage the tongue, the furcations being spread into holding engagement, beyond the shorter slotted aperture, with the apertured member.

MILTON H. RIX. 

